Wearable Audio Backup for Hearing Prostheses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing aids and prostheses, particularly for conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, lack adaptive functionality that can seamlessly transition between different usage modes and environments, limiting their effectiveness and user convenience.
Innovation Solution
A body-worn device, such as a smartwatch, with a chassis that supports multiple functionalities, including acting as a remote microphone or sound processor, which automatically switches between primary and secondary functionalities based on wear status, enabling interaction with hearing prostheses and providing enhanced audio perception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a body-worn device is designed with multiple functionalities, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The body-worn device is designed to perform multiple functions including acting as a remote microphone, sound processor, and backup device for hearing prostheses. The device can be worn on the head or body and automatically switches between different functionalities based on wear status, enabling a single device to replace multiple specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device dynamically changes its functionality based on whether it is being worn or removed from the body. When worn, it provides primary functions; when removed, it automatically provides backup functions. This dynamic adaptation allows the device to optimize its role based on real-time usage conditions without requiring manual intervention.
2Ease of operation
If the device automatically switches between functionalities based on wear status, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device automatically detects whether it is being worn or removed from the body and switches functionalities without requiring user intervention. The system monitors its own wear status and autonomously determines which functionality to provide, eliminating the need for manual controls or complex user interfaces for switching modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses feedback from wear detection to automatically adjust its functionality. Sensors monitor the device's contact with the body and provide feedback to the control system, which then automatically switches between primary and backup functionalities based on the detected wear status, creating a closed-loop adaptive system.
3Reliability
If the device provides backup functionality when removed from the body, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is pre-configured with multiple functionalities and automatically activates the appropriate backup function when removed from the body. The system has advance knowledge of the transition requirement and pre-preares the backup functionality to activate immediately, minimizing any potential delay in providing continuous support.
Data Source
AI summary
A body worn device, including a chassis and a functional suite supported by the chassis, wherein the device is configured to be worn on a recipient of a prosthesis, and the device is configured such that the functional suite automatically provides second functionality when the chassis is removed from the body of the recipient, the second functionality being related to the prosthesis.